Lord – give us your joy.

“Zion hears about this and rejoices” (Psalm 97:8).God’s Word brings joy. True joy is not something that we can give to ourselves. It must be given to us by the Lord. This joy – the joy of the Lord – gets stronger and stronger, as we listen to the Word  of the Lord and receive …

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Fron every tribe and nation and people and language

"With your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation" (Revelation 5:9). To Abraham, the Word of God was spoken: "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:3). In the one hundredth Psalm, we have a call to worship: "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth" (verse …

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Keep looking up …

"Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to you" (Psalm 102:1). To whom do we look for help? Here, the Psalmist looks to the Lord. May we join, with him, in saying, "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1).

Looking beyond physical love to spiritual truth

Song of Solomon 1:1-4:16; 1 Corinthians 12:1-26; Psalm 99:1-9 God uses the physical as an analogy of the spiritual. In 1 Corinthians 12, “the body” symbolizes the Church. In Song of Songs, the theme is physical love. By the Spirit of God, the physical language points beyond itself by using imagery which is suggestive of …

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Heavenly Birth, Life In The Spirit, Glorious Destination

Psalm 87:1-7 ‘Glorious things are said of you, O city of God… The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion”. As they make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in You”’(Psalm 87:3,6-7). We thank You, Lord, that the ‘city of God’ is our glorious destination …

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Jesus Christ – the sinless Son of God

Joshua 15:1-16:10; John 1:1-28; Psalm 53:1-6 Each tribe had its limited allotment of land. Jesus Christ, “the Word” who “was God”, “became flesh” (John 1:1,14). He accepted the limitations of being human. He was human, yet without sin. “There is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 53:1,3).  This is true of every human …

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Worshipping the Lord, and calling on others to worship him

"I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth... Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together" (Psalm 34:1,3). This is what I am going to do: "I will bless the Lord at all times... ." This is what I'm inviting you to do: "Magnify the Lord with me... ." When we …

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Touched by love, we learn to love.

Song of Solomon 5:1-8:14; 1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13; Psalm 100:1-5 There is physical love (Song of Songs). There is the love spoken of in 1 Corinthians 13. There is the love of God – “For the Lord is good and His love endures for ever” (Psalm 100:5). The more we consider what the Scriptures say about …

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Let Us ‘Magnify’ The Lord – ‘O Lord Our God, How Majestic Is Thy Name’.

Psalms 92:1-93:5 ‘You, O Lord, are exalted for ever... The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty...’(8; 93:1-2). The Lord is ‘exalted’. We are to exalt Him in our worship. He is not exalted because we exalt Him. We exalt Him because He is exalted. He is ‘exalted far above all gods’. That is why …

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Don’t look only at the things which are happening now. Look, also, to the glory which is yet to come.

‘Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore’(Psalm 16:11). In this earthly life, there are many difficulties. For all of God’s people, there is something better still to come. We must look not only at the things which are …

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God’s unfailing love

"May your unfailing love come to me, Lord, your salvation, according to your promise" (Psalm 119:41). Our salvation comes from the love of God for us, not our love for him. Time and time again, we fail in our love for God. He never fails in his love for us. His love for us is "unfailing love."

We seek God’s mercy for our past sins. We seek His help for our future temptations.

‘I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the House of the Lord”’ (Psalm 122:2). Why do we go to the House of the Lord? We go ‘to give thanks to the Name of the Lord’ (Psalm 122:4). We seek His mercy for our past sins: ‘Have mercy on us, O …

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The words that we speak for God are more than our words. They are words that are grounded in the Word of God.

Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me (Matthew 10:40). In these words of Jesus, we read about God, our heavenly Father, we read about Jesus Christ , our Saviour, and we read about those who bring the Word of God and the gospel of Christ …

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Let’s Thank God For His Love. Let’s Live To Please Him.

Psalm 103:1-22 ‘Praise the Lord’(1-2,20-22). Let’s praise Him for His ‘steadfast love’. He is ‘abounding in steadfast love’(8). How are we to respond to His ‘steadfast love’? Are we to say, ‘God loves me. I can do what I like’? No! We must not think like this. We’re not to say, ‘I’ll keep on sinning. …

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Sing To The Lord.

May God help each of us to “sing to the Lord.” May we “sing praise to Him.” May we “glory in His holy Name.” May we “rejoice” in Him. May we come to Him in our weakness and find our new “strength” in Him (Psalm 105:2-4).  

Out of the shadows of our past, into the light of His future

Micah 5:1-7:20; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Proverbs 21:17-26 God wipes out the shadow of our past - He “pardons sin” (Micah 7:18). He shines in the light of His future - “We will be “clothed with our heavenly dwelling” (2 Corinthians 5:4). From this standpoint of privilege, we are called to fulfil our responsibility: to be soldiers …

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From Good Friday to Easter Sunday (24): At the cross of Christ, we see love, eternal love, the love of Christ.

Welcome to the twentieth-fourth stage on our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday: At the cross of Christ, we see love, eternal love, the love of God. Psalm 114 When the people of Israel left Egypt,    when Jacob's descendants left that foreign land,2 Judah became the Lord's holy people,    Israel became his own possession.3 The Red Sea looked …

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From Good Friday to Easter Sunday (22): Let us worship God – our response to love, eternal love, the love of God

Welcome to the twenty-second stage on our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday: Let us worship God - our response to love, eternal love, the love of God. Psalm 98 Sing a new song to the Lord;    he has done wonderful things!By his own power and holy strength    he has won the victory.2 The Lord announced his victory;    he made his …

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From Good Friday to Easter Sunday (20): On the Lord’s pathway of victory, we see love, eternal love, the love of God.

Welcome to the twentieth stage on our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday: On the Lord's pathway of victory, we see love, eternal love, the love of God. Psalm 143 Lord, hear my prayer!In your righteousness listen to my plea;    answer me in your faithfulness!2 Don't put me, your servant, on trial;    no one is innocent in …

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From Good Friday to Easter Sunday (18): May your soul be lifted up by love, eternal love, the love of God.

Welcome to the eighteenth stage on our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday: May your soul be lifted up by love, eternal love, the love of God. Psalm 42 As a deer longs for a stream of cool water,    so I long for you, O God.2 I thirst for you, the living God.    When can I go …

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From Good Friday to Easter Sunday (16): In creation and Scripture, we see love, eternal love, the love of God.

Welcome to the sixteenth stage on our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday: In creation and Scripture, we see love, eternal love, the love of God. Psalm 19 How clearly the sky reveals God's glory!    How plainly it shows what he has done!2 Each day announces it to the following day;    each night repeats it to the …

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From Good Friday to Easter Sunday (12): Our hope of eternal glory comes from love, eternal love, the love of God.

Welcome to the twelfth stage of our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday: Our hope of eternal glory comes from love, eternal love, the love of God. Psalm 16 Protect me, O God; I trust in you for safety.2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;    all the good things I have come from you.” …

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From Good Friday to Easter Sunday (10): Be still and know that there is love, eternal love, the love of God.

Welcome to the tenth stage of our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday; Be still and know that there is love, eternal love, the love of God. Psalm 46 God is our shelter and strength,    always ready to help in times of trouble.2 So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken    and mountains …

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From Good Friday to Easter Sunday (8): In the end, there will be love, eternal love, the love of God.

Welcome to the eighth stage of our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday: In the end, there will be love, eternal love, the love of God. Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26 Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good;    his love is eternal.2 Give thanks to the greatest of all gods;    his love is eternal.3 Give thanks to the mightiest …

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From Good Friday to Easter Sunday (3): Out of darkness into light – the “spacious” place of God’s salvation

Welcome to the third stage of our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday: Out of darkness into light - the "spacious" place of God's salvation. Psalm 31:1-4 I come to you, Lord, for protection;    never let me be defeated.You are a righteous God;    save me, I pray!2 Hear me! Save me now!Be my refuge to protect me;    my defense …

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Christ died for us. Let us live for Him.

Thursday in Holy Week: Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17 Christ died for us. Let us live for Him. Here, we focus attention on two verses which emphasize the importance of being saved by the Lord and going on to live for Him: ‘when I see the blood, I will pass …

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Old words – for each new generation

"Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord" (Psalm 102:18). Sometimes, people say, "That was then. This is now." They're pointing out that today's world is very different from the ancient world. We know this, but there's something else that needs to be said: in today's world, we …

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God’s faithful love

"God sends His love and faithfulness" (Psalm 57:3).Whatever may be happening in our lives, let’s remember God’s faithful love. Let’s will look beyond everything that’s happening to us. Let’s catch a glimpse of God’s presence and purpose. : God is there, and He is fulfilling His purpose of “love and faithfulness.” In Jesus Christ, the love and faithfulness …

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Responding to Jesus Christ

Sixth Sunday in Lent (Palm / Passion): Entry into Jerusalem – Matthew 21:1-11; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Passion – Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66 (or Matthew 27:11-54)    PALM SUNDAY Our response to Christ - Discipleship, Depth, Devotion Four times, Jesus is called ‘the Son of David’ (Matthew 20:30-31; 21:9,15). Christ is greater than …

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When the Lord turns things around for us, let us not forget to say thank you to him.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down (Psalm 145:14). How often, we fall down. How often, the Lord picks us up again. There are times when we're asking ourselves, "Is this the end of the road?" We feel like we've had …

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Now I belong to Jesus – not for the years of time alone, but for eternity.

"You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand" (Psalm 16:11). This verse means a lot to me. It was given to me at the time when I set out on a life of ministry. It tells us that …

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The greatness of the Lord is always so much greater than all human greatness.

Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise (Psalm 47:6-7). The Lord has given us a song to sing. It's a song of praise. We sing to the Lord. We praise him. We thank him that …

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